"For one year before the war I lived as a Chinese in Canton," he said. "Even the Chinese were fooled." O E afternoon Chick took Chin:;: o thte a: e:t it: ; This aft air was his own idea'it!;I::i ;l though he had got the pattern ':: :,: from Germany. We went to the lounge of the Matsubara Hotel. Chick had invited all the young Chinese boys he could find whose fathers were w althy. They were all smart and sleek and prosperous, dressed in English clothes. We sat around a long table and ate very small, sparse sandwiches. and drank tea. There were fi ve J aps, counting Chick. The Chinese looked as puzzled as 1 felt. After we had eaten one sandwich apiece, Chick stood up and made a speech in Eng- lish, Japanese, and Cantonese. f-Ie said it was his privilege and joy to organize this meeting of the future leaders of China. He went on to sketch what lay in store for China's youth, now that Japan had liberated them. He drew glowing pictures of what they could do in public life under Japan's beneficent guidance. Then he called for a reply. Nobody answered. Every- one looked at one another and waited for somebody else to speak. Chick, bending forward a little, smiled around encouragingly. "Someone, any- one, say a few words," he urged. "Anything at all. If you have any ideas-" Still nobody said anything. Then the young men began to urge Willie, the . h h " I ' . b rIC est among tern. t s your JO , Willie. Go OD, say something." Willie shambled to his feet, blushing, and 1 watched him with a rather sick feeling in my. stomach. 1 had no high hopes of his powers of resistance against this sort of thing. These Hong Kong people, I said to myself, are too soft. I braced myself to listen to a lot of stuff, promises, compliments to Japan. \,'Tillie cleared his throdt. " 1 h ' h . " h a ven t anyt Ing to say, e pro- tested. "But you represent the ne-vv. Co- ProsperIty Sphere," insisted Chich. ")T our father has properties in Malaya and the Philippines." : . .." ........ : .....:.. t::1'::i:1:"' : 1H:? ::.::.:......:.:>::::: ':::: :C.;' _ :::::':: :::.:. . - -...::::": il ';' . i: ::; j:\ :::! !: :=: . :: ::::; :{;i ,r4 ... :::Y-':.:.:: ';:;:!;:i t1::J;;:::i; :: i:., : \/ iÞ:f: - - p:tr :' ' .... :'::=;.:' ::"",." ':=;::::::'11 . it ' 'fii & (, *1', L-=::::"'-i:-:-:.:-:... R wmw :,::',l ..;.:::: " ,:':"'..::r:': :{:::::=. . cl!j! JfW? : <I' , , Fg :. f.;;: l,j I : \:': ...? w :*,L r&:::: : : i , -";:'<"'y<:,< ::: .... "'^'1r: $. ,g : <, il f Wi .<<-: ":="":{. ,::. .. : :::::::::::.... .. ."' .: ::::::: t:: : )./ l:i : . m\ f:;:.... ,.' :.., ::.:>::: :::::: t..-t .:-.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.;.. ". k{':::':' '::i ]?; tJ 31 .: . yt2 ;;;: %::r* ... :;:CC, Mjf.t:,$ " I ..... .I i '''-';;'' .9" . >.: F :"Tl Qt" H . .k :-" i-. ;:' ::::' :; ::::: . '::__: 1 ' i".ì " :,; : :::: ?i: ::'<1;::,. :*r- }: it: . } '::.:14 M "! ;;;.::: : . .it < ""::'" :;;";.:p. ... .<: ::: . ..:.:.' : :.';'- ..;..-:..... i/ .: i? ::iI' .=,,'" ::::::: i '>x- r! ,N?::::.::,;::::, ...:-:.:"'....... f/::: ....;{ ./? . , :>>.f' . a:. .oft.. : t:t" :":.,-:C:. :,::::::::,:':t;:. ÞF r. ' .:::. :.::.::: ;::..:::::- :MW:I: .........:.. :}:J:::.. .:.:.: :':.0'. 1f l.ì:: : .....::.:.:.... .. ":,{(. ::::-?::f '.;::.6.(' ::;:: ; . ................ j1: :i>';.:....... .:,: :;.;.;';',:. :/:::#..;i{" ;'.,$;&' '(' ..:::;;. ': ; <%i :....Pi1 . - .:i! ((We should be delig-hted to make you a loan, Mr. Baker, but first I n ust ask you a few perfunctory questions." " . " B 1 h "'I" k d '"{xP II . " w u t 1 as eras e v VII e . e haven't heard from them since the " war. Chick hastily broke the silence that followed. "Tell us what suggestions you may have for the improvement of Hong Kong. How can we make it a better place?" Willie hrigh tened. He had, it seemed, some ideas after all. "Six point fòur taels of rice-" he said. This was the official ration for one day, fixed bv the Japanese as the limit for every Chinese in town. It was about a quarter of the average coolie's necessary portion. "Six point four, Mr. \Vatanabe, isn't enough. Tell the government." He sat down, still blushing. 1 was numb with surprise and admiration. No Chinese with any manners would dream of making such a short speech; that is, if he intended tu be polite. 1 stared incredulously at Willie's pleasant, vacant face, and then at the rest of the young men. They all looked alike, . smiling and smooth and just a little foolish. Chick was in a bad temper when he escorted me home. "These Cantonese," he grumbled. "No vision. They're all the same. All they think of is their stomachs." He paused, musing. "1 think 1 will go away soon," he announced suddenly. "I can do no more here." Smiling, smooth, and looking, I sus- pect, just a Iittle foolish myself, I did not reply. -EMILY HAHN . SOCIAL NOTES FROM ALL OVER [From the Havana Post] M any of the fair sex, guests some of them and others visitors from to,vn, ,vere in bathing in noon hours yesterday in the salt ,vater pool of Hotel N acional. Not only ,vere attentions from those in the curious among the public for those in the ,vater but like,vise for' others of them in the green, especially the shapely ones in the middle, faces do,vn if turned to th(" side for glances up duly reciprocated.